This handbook deals with the legislation set out in Part 5 of the Localism Act 2011 and the Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations 2012. This legislation provides a local community with a right to identify buildings or other land that it believes to be of importance to the community’s wellbeing.

Good national heritage planning policy is very important for CLA members and others who look after heritage, making the sympathetic change needed to give heritage a future easier, and harmful change more difficult. The new 2016 consultation draft of the historic environment chapter of Planning Policy Wales is an improvement on the previous 2002 version, but this CLA response says that it still represents an old approach which is not in keeping with modern international conservation good practice, with Cadw's adopted Conservation Principles, or with the Well-being of Future Generations Act's Resilient Wales goal ("to support.... resilience and the capacity to adapt to change"). The CLA is also commenting on a new Technical Advice Note and other new heritage guidance.

This was a DCLG consultation and our response built upon meetings that we have already had with DCLG and Defra on rural planning. We called for more flexible permitted development rights for agricultural buildings, barn conversions, and on farm reservoirs. There was a need for up to date local plans that addressed the needs of the rural area, and also introducing “planning permission in principle” for certain development. We called for clarity that agricultural development should be exempt for CIL, and opposed local planning fee setting as this could be used to deter applications or lead to disproportionate charges.